Big Lake FAQs

Project Date: January 2008 – Present
Lead: Chris Beck
Client: Big Lake Community Council + Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Location: Big Lake

Why should Big Lake update their 1996 comprehensive plan?

The Big Lake area has grown significantly over the past two decades.
While the entire Matanuska-Susitna Borough has experienced rapid population growth, the Big Lake area has experienced both growth in permanent residents and second-home owners. Recreation issues such
as trail and lake access, providing adequate infrastructure to serve the needs of visitors, and finding ways to maintain the quality of surface and subsurface water are topics we anticipate this plan will cover. In addition, Big Lake has maintained a growing “town center” where many community facilities and local businesses are located. The plan will address ways to help this area grow into a community gathering place and an attractive business location, and in general, assist Big Lake as it continues to
evolve is own distinct community character.

How is a comprehensive plan used to further community goals?

A comprehensive plan provides a way for the full community to set broad goals for future; to determine priorities among diverse issues, and to set the stage for action. For public facilities/services, it is a good way to set priorities and set the stage for fundraising. For transportation, it is a good way to set priorities for improvements. For land use, the plan can set the general land use pattern, and a Special Use District (SpUD) can then be used as the implementation tool to set specific rules about land use. In addition, state law requires municipal entities to prepare plans. The State mandates that the comprehensive plan include land use, transportation, and public facilities, (with economic development an optional section).
The plan is also a reference point for the Mat-Su Borough when proposals for railroads, developments, etc. come asking for permission to locate
in Big Lake. The Mat-Su Borough planners have input on platting for developments and use the comprehensive plan as a resource for
making platting recommendations.

What power does the plan have?

Once adopted, plans have the force of law. This authority has been held up in a number of court cases in Alaska and around the nation. At the same time, comprehensive plans, by design, are very general in their scope and their recommendations. A separate, publically-reviewed process is required to carry out most plan actions. For example, the comprehensive plan identifies the need for a new library; but the community has to carry out a number of additional steps to reserve a site, get funding, etc. In the case of land use, the plan identifies the general priorities and desired character of land use, but a separate process is used to give a zoning or a Special Use District (SpUD) designation to a particular parcel of land.

How does having a plan affect the community’s ability to get
funds for community projects?

Many foundations and government agencies explicitly require a community to have a recently-completed comprehensive plan as a requirement for funding. The Library in Big Lake is an example of a project that came about in part through the completion of the 1996 comprehensive plan.

What is the appropriate level of detail in a plan?

Plans should first focus on establishing clear (but still general) goals, and secondly set out general strategies to achieve these goals. For example, the plan could set out protection of water quality in lakes as a goal, and then present strategies to reach this goal including retention of lakefront vegetation, the need for development setbacks, general policies regarding housing density, and recommendations for educational programs related to use of the lake. Generally, comprehensive plans do not establish specific, quantified development standards; this is done (if desired by the community) through a subsequent Special Use District (SpUD).

What is the decision-making process for the Planning Team?

In this planning process, the Planning Team will discuss important decisions to develop the plan; the planners and consultants will act more as scribes. The planners will help Planning Team members understand technical issues and the consequences that are likely to ensue from any decisions to be made. The goal among the Planning Team is consensus: trying to talk through options and come to positions that everyone can support and/or live with. Achieving consensus is different from basing decisions upon a simple majority vote. For the plan to have broad community support, decisions need to have as much support from the planning team members as possible. The Planning Team ends up being a steering committee or sounding board for the community as a whole. If there is a particular issue that this group can’t resolve, the Mat-Su Borough planners will present to the Planning Commission and the Assembly different options representing diverging areas of support and let them make the ultimate decision.

How will the plan be adopted?

Once the Big Lake Planning Team develops a comprehensive plan draft, with input from public meetings and comments, the draft goes to the Big Lake Community Council for review and approval. If the Council approves the draft, it is then forwarded to the Mat-Su Borough Planning Commission for a public hearing and approval. The Planning Commission makes recommendations to the Assembly which has the final approval.

Can the plan be changed?

Yes, a comprehensive plan can be changed through an amendment process comparable to the process for approving the plan.

Do we have land use designations in Big Lake?

There is no zoning in the Mat-Su Borough, but there are certain land use restrictions and conditions designated by Special Use Districts (SpUD). Big Lake does not currently have a SpUD. There are some existing regulations about where commercial uses can locate based on the size of roads.

How does the plan affect existing land uses?

Most plans include a process to grant “legal non-conforming” status (i.e, to grandfather in) existing uses.

What is the relationship of this plan to existing/previous plans?

The 1996 Big Lake Comprehensive Plan is currently being updated.
The Big Lake Management Plan is a subset of the 1996 plan and is not being updated. The new Big Lake Comprehensive Plan will be a subset of the 2005 Mat-Su Borough Comprehensive Plan.

What other plans are in progress that might affect the
Big Lake area?

Other plans that are in process but not completed that include the Big Lake area are the Southeast Susitna Area Plan, the Port Mackenzie Rail Extension Project and the Knik Arm Crossing. Background information about these and other plans and projects that might impact Big Lake will be brought to the planning team during the planning process.

How can I be involved in this planning process?

Please bookmark this website and check back often for public workshop and meeting dates, meeting notes, draft documents for review, and other resources. Give us your email address and we’ll keep you updated on important events throughout the planning process. You can also contact Shelly Wade at Agnew::Beck or talk to one of the Planning Team members with your questions and concerns.

Can I attend Planning Team meetings?

Planning Team meetings are open to the public, but to keep the process moving, members of the public attending these meetings will be asked to observe certain guidelines (for example, Planning Team members will get priority for discussion). Meeting notes from these meetings will also be posted on this website to give everyone a sense of what’s happening.

Want More Information?

Contact Agnew::Beck if you have questions, or if you'd like to receive more information about the public participation process and how to get involved. If you'd like to know about upcoming workshops, please send your e-mail address and other contact information to Shelly Wade and we'll keep you posted.